Rade Sherbedgia Cast as Villain in Liam Neeson's 'Taken 2' (Exclusive)

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Rade Sherbedgia

Croatian actor Rade Sherbedgia has been cast as the villain in 20th Century Fox and EuropaCorp's Taken 2, which stars Liam Neeson and is set to begin filming in Turkey and France later this month. 

Sherbedgia will play Murad, the father of a kidnapper slain by Bryan Mills (Neeson) in the first film. Murad is described as a vengeful man who gives orders and doesn't take them. When Murad takes Mills and his wife hostage, their daughter is enlisted to help save them.

Taken 2, which will be released Oct. 5, 2012, also stars Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace. Colombiana helmer Olivier Megaton is directing the pic. 

Luc Besson, who co-wrote the script with Robert Mark Kamen, is producing through his EuropaCorp banner.

Besson and Kamen also co-wrote the first Taken film, which was released in 2008 and was a surprise hit, grossing $224 million worldwide. 

Sherbedgia will next star in Angelina Jolie's directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, which will be released in December. Sherbedgia's credits include Batman Begins, Mission: Impossible II and a memorable turn as Boris "The Blade" Yurinov in Snatch.

Sherbedgia is represented by Innovative Artists and the U.K.'s United Artists.

Email: Daniel.Miller@THR.com
Twitter: @DanielNMiller